THE 5 BEST 10+ FREE NAIL VARNISHES
The world of natural nail varnish has come such a long way in the last decade that including the previously “mainstream” nail varnish ingredients in their formulas has almost become ancient history for all popular brands. It now seems that most reputable brands are excluding the top 3-5 undesirable ingredients — like formaldehyde and toluene — in their nail varnish, which is fantastic news. Brands committed to safer ingredients have always worked hard to improve and find the best possible formulas for both safety and efficacy, and fortunately there are now plenty of these better products out there — something I’m keen to shout about so that ‘plant & natural based’ can become the norm across the board rather than an anomaly.
Having been bare-nailed throughout lockdown (check out the last time I wore nail varnish) I’ve had an itch to wear colour again to celebrate the coming summer and seeing friends and family again. Even now the salons have opened up again, eco-friendly is still niche, although you can find them in London (check out STILL London for example) and dotted around the country, so until they’re more accessible it’s still home manis for me. I’ve turned to some fantastic more natural nail varnish brands for some at-home pampering. Here is a look at my favourites with no less than 10-free (that is, free of 10 common harmful ingredients) status.
Courtesy: Kure Bazaar
Kure Bazaar has been a firm favourite in the free-from nail world for years now and they have reformulated over the years to make their formulas even more natural with a large colour range. Long wearing and quick drying, this brand has always been on my favourites list.
10-free formula
Natural base formula
Cruelty-free
Pregnancy safe
Courtesy: Zoya
Zoya has been a professional nail and beauty supplier for years and one of the first big brands to make all their varnishes free-from. Their vast colour range makes them the perfect choice for all your different moods — not to mention they’re competitively priced against high street brands.
10-free
Cruelty-free
Pregnancy safe
Courtesy: Sundays
Sundays started as a natural nail salon in New York and subsequently rolled out these amazing free-from varnishes that really go on with amazing coverage and stay on without chipping. Expect muted capsule wardrobe colours for that laid back-chic NY style.
10-free
Vegan
Cruelty-free
Pregnancy safe
Courtesy: People of Color
Founder Jacqueline Carrington was tired of not seeing images of varnishes not reflecting her skin tone and so she set about to create this amazing range of colours specially for people of all skin tones. Currently available to buy from the US online.
10-free
Vegan
Cruelty-free
Pregnancy safe
Courtesy: Nailberry
Nailberry’s high-end feel and wear makes this brand one of the UK’s favourite picks with a great range of fashionable colours that only call for one coat if you’re in a rush (or can’t sit still long enough for your nails to dry).
12-free
Vegan
Cruelty-free
Halal
Pregnancy safe
Courtesy: A Weathered Penny
If you love earthy tones, then A Weathered Penny is the brand for you — with an aesthetic for those who prefer a more minimalist appeal. These varnishes are a little more sheer in their application and may need a few coats for an opaque finish. The colour palette feels like the Farrow & Ball of nail varnishes.
10-free
Vegan
Cruelty-free
Pregnancy safe
FREE-FROM REMOVERS
After going to all that trouble to find the best nail varnishes that exclude nail and health damaging ingredients, it would be a little silly if we didn’t try to avoid those same ingredients (like toluene) in our nail varnish remover. They are a little more difficult to come by, but these options below do work and exclude ingredients like acetone that dry out your nails and are bad for your health in general. These are not only ‘acetone-free’, but made with more plant based and natural formulations overall as acetone is not the only undesirable in nail polish removers.
